What kind of bike is best for getting around town?

The best town bike is not the fastest or the lightest. It is the one you will use on a drizzly Tuesday to buy bread, wearing normal clothes, without thinking about it. That points somewhere quite different from the sleek bikes in the shop window.

The upright city bike

Think of the classic Dutch or Italian town bike: you sit upright, hands high, back straight, looking around you like someone on a terrace.

• Upright position. Better for seeing traffic and being seen, and kinder to wrists and neck.
• Step-through frame, often, so getting on and off in a skirt, a suit or a hurry is easy.
• Mudguards and a chain guard, so your trousers and back stay clean.
• Built-in lights and a stand on many models.
• Racks and baskets that take shopping, a bag or flowers from the market.
• Hub gears, often, which are tucked away and low-maintenance.

The trade-off is weight. City bikes are heavy and not quick up long hills. If your town is flat and your trips are short, that hardly matters.

The folding bike

Folding bikes are made for mixed journeys and small homes:

• Trains and buses. Ride to the station, fold, take it on board, ride the other end.
• Small flats and offices. It lives under a desk or in a cupboard.
• Less theft risk, because you can usually take it inside with you.

Small wheels feel a bit twitchy at first and less comfortable on rough cobbles or potholes, and good folders are not cheap. For a commuter who mixes bike and train, though, they can be life-changing.

The hybrid

A hybrid sits between a road bike and a mountain bike: flat handlebars, a lighter frame, medium-width tyres and lots of gears.

• Quicker over longer distances than a city bike.
• Good for longer commutes, hilly towns and weekend rides on paths.
• Often less practical out of the box. You may need to add mudguards, a rack, lights and a stand.

If you are not sure, our guide to the difference between road, gravel and hybrid bikes goes into more detail.

E-bikes

Many people now choose an electric-assist version of any of the above, especially in hilly towns, for longer commutes or to arrive without needing a shower. Rules on e-bikes vary by country, so check what applies where you live.

The accessories that matter

• A good lock. Spend proportionally on it. A sturdy D-lock or chain, locked through the frame to something solid, is a common approach. Our piece on locking a bike covers it properly.
• Mudguards. The single best upgrade for riding in normal clothes.
• Lights. Bright front and rear lights, ideally built in or easily removable.
• Something to carry things. A basket, rear rack with panniers, or a front rack. Riding with a backpack is fine for short trips but sweaty on longer ones. See our guide to carrying things on a bike.
• A bell. Simple, cheap and very civilised.

Test ride, and fit it to you

Ride a few different bikes before buying, ideally on streets like the ones you will use. Check you can stand over the frame comfortably, reach the handlebars without stretching, and put a foot down easily at traffic lights. Our piece on choosing the right bike size has the details.

Second-hand city bikes are often excellent value. Have a mechanic check the brakes, tyres and chain before you ride off.